Case Number 01186

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

The Charge

This means something. This is important.

Opening Statement

Following up on the phenomenal success of Jaws might not have been
easy, but Steven Spielberg was certainly up to the task with Close Encounters
of the Third Kind, a more personal and uplifting film that succeeded with
genre fans, and with both mainstream audiences and critics as well. It might not
have quite the action and fun of Star Wars, which came out the same year,
but it is more thoughtful and gave a quite different look at alien abduction
than we'd seen before. Spielberg came late to the DVD format (though still
better than George Lucas), but at least now we have a two DVD set of this much
awaited film.

Facts of the Case

Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) is a utility line worker living a normal life.
He and his wife Ronnie (Teri Garr) are happy with the kids and the rest that
goes with the suburban existence. All that is about to change when Roy has a
close encounter with something he cannot explain. The bright lights he saw were
seen by many, but not as up close and personally as Roy, and nobody believes
him. Roy loses his job, but that is only the beginning. Both he and Jillian
Guiler (Melinda Dillon), a woman who was also in the area, are consumed by an
image that won't leave their thoughts, an image that only later becomes clear.
Roy must sacrifice everything to find out the answers that he seeks, ultimately
on a mountaintop in Wyoming.

The Evidence

I tried to make this description of the story spoiler-free, though I'm not
sure how much I should be worried about divulging the plot of a film so many
have seen. Spielberg's films have been among the most seen in history, and
Close Encounters is no exception. It made a ton of money in its first
release, and three years later Spielberg revisited the film to add extra scenes
for a new special edition. In 1998, the film was edited once again into the
definitive director's cut, where all the extra scenes Spielberg wanted in are
still there without the rather shabby ending the studio had asked for. This is
the version we get on this DVD, which is essentially a port of the 1998
laserdisc, though with a spruced up digital transfer.

I have a confession to make. When I saw Close Encounters in the
theater in 1977, I left unimpressed. I felt like the second act exposing Roy's
obsession was too long and there wasn't enough of "the good stuff." I
didn't even bother to see the re-release three years later. With age comes
wisdom, at least one hopes, and I was able to look at the film much differently
than I did so many years ago. I tried to make the film fit my image of what a
space alien movie should be back then, and the fact that it couldn't be
pigeonholed like that was its undoing. Now I'm willing to take the film on its
own terms, and have a much greater respect for it.

Not that there isn't some great suspense in the film. The scene in which
Jillian's house goes crazy and she tries in vain to prevent the abduction of her
young son leaves chills in its wake, as does the scene where Roy first sees the
alien ship and his truck seems to lose touch with the law of gravity.

Of course few can deny the power and quality of the script (one of the few
Spielberg films with his name in the "written by" credit) or the
strength of the performances all around. Richard Dreyfuss has proven his chops
as an actor time and time again, but this is still one of his best performances.
Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Francois Truffaut, and even the very young Cary
Guffey each add magic of their own to the film.

Since I missed the special edition in the theatrical release, I was happy to
see this version now. The added scenes do a great deal to better explain what is
going on, and add several great moments. At least the "mother ship"
scenes are no longer around, except in the comprehensive extra content on the
DVD set, where it belongs.

A spectacular DVD set it is too, at least with the extra content. Owners of
the 1998 laserdisc will find nothing new, but for those of us who skipped that
technological step of the ladder there is a lot to like. Except for the THX
Optimode section, all the extras are on Disc Two. Besides trailers for both the
original and re-release versions of the film and filmographies, the real meat of
the extra content is with the 1997 documentary "The Making of Close
Encounters of the Third Kind," a 1 hour, 42 minute piece from my favorite
DVD extra master, Laurent Bouzereau. Virtually any question about the movie is
answered here, with interviews from Spielberg, Dreyfuss, Garr, and many, many
others from the cast and crew. The documentary takes the film apart piece by
piece and examines every aspect of how it was done. I've seen other such
documentaries that come close to the quality of this one, but none that truly
surpass it. The DVD is almost worth buying for this documentary alone. Next up
are 11 deleted scenes that run about 25 minutes, including the "Roy and the
mother ship" sequence I mentioned earlier. "Watch the Skies" is
an original 1977 featurette for the film and runs about six minutes, and is
mainly valuable for historical purposes. Finally there are production notes
within the packaging.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Unfortunately, not everything from the laserdisc set has been ported over to
the DVD. Gone is the huge still gallery of production photos and concept art
(and much more). I found it hard to believe that it was left out.

This is probably the definitive DVD edition of Close Encounters,
which is a shame in some ways. I was less than fully impressed with the digital
transfer of such a much awaited film. While I am impressed with how well the
nicks and scratches and other defects were cleaned up prior to the finished
transfer, quite a bit of grain was left behind. Colors are a bit faded as well.
Shadow detail is only adequate. For the most part, the magical quality of the
movie itself will keep you so interested as to not notice such things, but I
have to bring it up.

The sound fares better than the transfer, but is not without its flaws as
well. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 tracks are offered, though both have their
own problems. These problems are mostly due to the age and the technological
limitations of filmmaking at the time. Dialogue and the midrange to highs are a
bit muddled and can be harsh or constricted. That said, you can still understand
what is being said, and the rest of the soundtrack is golden. This is an
aggressive mix, with active surrounds and fine directionality. Bass response is
especially fine with the DTS track, with some great rumbles to be heard from
your subwoofer.

Lastly, I have to complain about the packaging. The fold-out cardboard case
is similar to some I've seen, but not nearly as good as some of the better
multi-disc packaging that has come out. For such a "big" film, I'd
have liked something more durable.

Closing Statement

Despite some grumbles about the technical qualities, this is still a must-buy
DVD set. The film is moving, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, and represents
a younger, more optimistic Spielberg than we would see in more recent years. The
extra content is compelling, especially if you don't own or plan to own the
laserdisc set.

The Verdict

Of course the film is acquitted; I know that Steven Spielberg is sitting up
biting his nails awaiting this court's judgment, and I can't bear to disappoint
him now. Columbia gets a few admonitions about packaging and leaving off the
still gallery, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they did all
they could for the transfer and sound.